bed, dress, food, servants; and how
laborious and patient; and how he was able on account of his sparing
diet to hold out to the evening, not even requiring to relieve himself
by any evacuations except at the usual hour; and his firmness and
uniformity in his friendships; and how he tolerated freedom of speech in
those who opposed his opinions; and the pleasure that he had when any
man showed him anything better; and how religious he was without
superstition. Imitate all this, that thou mayest have as good a
conscience, when thy last hour comes, as he had (i. 16).

31. Return to thy sober senses and call thyself back; and when thou hast
roused thyself from sleep and hast perceived that they were only dreams
which troubled thee, now in thy waking hours look at these [the things
about thee] as thou didst look at those [the dreams].

32. I consist of a little body and a soul. Now to this little body all
things are indifferent, for it is not able to perceive differences. But
to the understanding those things only are indifferent which are not the
works of its own activity. But whatever things are the works of its own
activity, all these are in its power. And of these however only those
which are done with reference to the present; for as to the future and
the past activities of the mind, even these are for the present
indifferent.

33. Neither the labor which the hand does nor that of the foot is
contrary to nature, so long as the foot does the foot's work and the
hand the hand's. So then neither to a man as a man is his labor contrary
to nature, so long as it does the things of a man. But if the labor is
not contrary to his nature, neither is it an evil to him.

34. How many pleasures have been enjoyed by robbers, patricides,
tyrants.

35. Dost thou not see how the handicrafts-men accommodate themselves up
to a certain point to those who are not skilled in their
craft--nevertheless they cling to the reason [the principles] of their
art, and do not endure to depart from it? Is it not strange if the
architect and the physician shall have more respect to the reason [the
principles] of their own arts than man to his own reason, which is
common to him and the gods?

36. Asia, Europe, are corners of the universe; all the sea a drop in the
universe; Athos a little clod of the universe: all the present time is a
point in eternity. All things are little, changeable, perishable. All
things come from thence, from that universa